Hearing Coach Higashi's capitulation, Nanatsuoi Akane's face immediately lit up with joy
But almost at once, a shadow of worry crossed her features
If Rai Hikaru blew this whole thing up, then yes, Coach Higashi would be ruined
But what she had done with Katase Shoya would also come to light.
She could still endure that. Katase Shoya, though—there was no way he would be able to stay in the baseball club and chase the tournament he had dreamed of his whole life.
And she had no right to demand anything of Rai Hikaru, so she did not dare say a word
She only stared hard at Rai Hikaru, clinging to a sliver of hope in her chest.
Under the gaze of the two people from the baseball club, each burdened with their own thoughts, Rai Hikaru set his phone down with a faint smile and spoke softly to Coach Higashi.
"Honestly, I'm not the kind of guy who likes to push things all the way to the brink."
"This mess doesn't just involve you and Nanatsuoi Akane. Katase Shoya is tangled up in it too."
"Taking your complicated relationships into account, I can choose not to upload this video."
"But you, Coach Higashi, are no longer allowed to use this as leverage to threaten Nanatsuoi Akane and the others."
"Everyone takes a step back. You, Coach, get down on your knees and apologize to me for that disgusting attitude of yours, and we call it done."
Hearing Rai Hikaru's conditions, Nanatsuoi Akane could not stop the look of joy from rising to her face.
Amazing.
Rai Hikaru really was amazing
She had not said a word, yet he had still taken both her and Katase Shoya in consideration.
He had not only helped her stop Coach Higashi's vile act and spared her from being assaulted, he had even thought through all the trouble that might come afterward.
Perfect.
Rai Hikaru was not only strong but kind—a truly good person.
Nanatsuoi Akane had no idea.
In truth, Rai Hikaru had not thought about them nearly that much.
What he was thinking was actually very simple: he just did not want this piece of trash, Coach Higashi, to get away with paying such an easy price.
Exactly.
In Rai Hikaru's eyes, exposing the video, getting Coach Higashi fired and thrown in jail—that was far too light a punishment
Trash like Coach Higashi, judging from his disgusting personality and vile behavior, had probably poisoned more than a few women over the years.
Even if this time Rai Hikaru had solid evidence, the man had "only" threatened her and failed to actually go through with it.
So any sentence he got would never be too heavy.
At the very least, he definitely would not be facing the death penalty.
Yet Rai Hikaru believed that for scum like this, immediate cremation on the spot was the most fitting end.
So rather than settle for this incident, it would be better to let him off the hook for now, then later find a good opportunity, in some deserted, camera-free spot, to send him on his way.
On the other side, of course, Coach Higashi had no idea what Rai Hikaru was really thinking.
His thoughts were much closer to Nanatsuoi Akane's.
He believed Rai Hikaru was letting him off for Nanatsuoi Akane and Katase Shoya's sake.
When he heard the words "get on your knees," his face twitched, but to him, that sort of thing was not a big deal.
He immediately put on a smile and said in a genial tone, "Well… that works out for everyone. We can each take a step back."
"Take a step back and the sea and sky open wide, right? I accept Rai Hikaru's terms."
"And I deeply apologize for my poor attitude toward Rai Hikaru just now."
Saying this, Coach Higashi actually bent his knees and dropped straight down in front of Rai Hikaru, apologizing with what looked like genuine humility.
Seeing the coach—who usually threw his weight around in the club, domineering and rude—now kneeling in such a pathetic pose in front of Rai Hikaru, Nanatsuoi Akane reflexively covered her mouth in shock.
Rai Hikaru, however, was not particularly surprised.
He merely watched the coach with a slight smile.
As expected, an older, "experienced" bull is more flexible than a young one; an adult NTR cuck can bend and stretch better than some delinquent stag with bleached hair.
Coach Higashi was at least a couple tiers above that punk "Yellow Hair" in terms of rank.
He had miscalculated one thing, though: in Japan, kneeling did not carry that much humiliating weight.
Still, that was fine. In a few days, this coach would probably just be a well-built corpse anyway.
Lifting his head, Coach Higashi put on a "kind" smile and said to Rai Hikaru, "Right, there's something else I wanted to discuss with you. Manager Nanatsuoi, why don't you head back first?"
"I…" Nanatsuoi Akane hesitated when she heard him.
"What? Now you don't listen to your coach? Don't put your coach in your eyes anymore, is that it?" Coach Higashi's face twisted with anger, the earlier kindness clearly nothing but an act.
"Nanatsuoi, you should head back to class," Rai Hikaru suddenly said.
"If… if you say so, Rai Hikaru, then I'll go."
To the boy who had just saved her, Nanatsuoi Akane was more than willing to listen.
She gave Rai Hikaru a grateful look, then turned and walked out of the storage shed.
Once Nanatsuoi Akane was gone, Rai Hikaru said blandly, "Nanatsuoi has already left. Coach Higashi, say whatever it is you want to say."
"Heh heh… it's nothing that serious. I just wanted to ask for a little favor from you, Rai Hikaru."
As he spoke, Coach Higashi pushed himself up from the floor and walked over to Rai Hikaru's side.
Towering and broad-shouldered, even slightly taller than Rai Hikaru, he lowered his head in front of the boy, rubbing his hands together, wearing a fawning smile.
"It's just… I've already promised I won't give Manager Nanatsuoi and the others a hard time anymore, and I've apologized to you as well. So, the video on your phone… shouldn't you… delete it now?"
Rai Hikaru, who had long anticipated this, chuckled.
"Coach Higashi, you're an adult. You can't seriously be thinking that if I delete the video, there'll still be anything holding you back, right?"
Coach Higashi let out an awkward laugh.
"That's true, I didn't think it through. My apologies, Rai Hi—gimme that, you little punk!"
Halfway through his fake apology, Coach Higashi suddenly lunged, swinging his fan-sized right hand toward Rai Hikaru.
His target was the phone in Rai Hikaru's right hand.
However—
A hand flashed out even faster, clamping down on Coach Higashi's palm.
Smack.
Staring at Rai Hikaru's left hand, which had wrapped tightly around his own, Coach Higashi's face contorted with disbelief
This boy, who did not look particularly scrawny but definitely not like some muscle-bound athlete either…
Had just stopped his full-power grab with one left hand?
"Knew it. There's no way a guy like you would behave that obediently." Rai Hikaru smiled faintly.
Coach Higashi struggled in disbelief, but his right wrist, caught in Rai Hikaru's grip, did not budge in the slightest, like it had been clamped by a steel vise.
"Where the hell… did you get this kind of strength?!"
As he spoke, Coach Higashi tried to take advantage of Rai Hikaru's distraction, curling his left hand into a fist to throw a punch.
Rai Hikaru only gave a small, amused smile and twisted his left hand lightly.
"Gahhhh!!!"
A bloodcurdling scream ripped through the quiet storage shed.
That casual twist had actually snapped Coach Higashi's hand.
His right palm, which had looked like a great big fan moments ago, was now bent backward a full one hundred and eighty degrees.
The skin of the back of his hand lay flush against his wrist, almost perfectly parallel.
At a glance, he looked like a disabled man with no hand at all.
The agony spearing up from his wrist drenched Coach Higashi in cold sweat, nearly driving him into unconsciousness.
Only his sturdy physique kept him from blacking out completely, but his face had gone paper-white, his whole body soaked with sweat.
Gritting his teeth against the pain, he looked up at the handsome, black-haired boy in front of him—smiling faintly, yet like a demon—and pleaded in a groveling whisper.
"I… I was wrong…"
"I shouldn't have tried to grab your phone, Rai-kun. Please, I'm begging you, let me go…"
"I really know I was wrong…"
"From now on, I'll do whatever you say. Just spare me…"
Facing the utterly pathetic figure of Coach Higashi, Rai Hikaru's lips curled up slightly.
"Fine. I'll let you off this time."
"But… for the offense, I'll be taking a little… interest."
The moment those words fell, a pain unlike anything he had ever experienced in his life exploded between Coach Higashi's legs.
"Aaaaaaaahhh!!!"
A howl that sounded like it was tearing his liver and guts apart, a scream of pure, soul-wrenching agony, echoed again and again inside the storage shed.
This shriek was even worse than when his wrist had snapped.
Because this was the pain of bird and eggs alike being smashed, a weight no man's life should ever have to bear.
The agony in his crotch was so overwhelming that Coach Higashi could no longer even feel his broken wrist
Rai Hikaru released his grip on the man's wrist, and Coach Higashi collapsed to the floor
He thrashed and rolled, wailing like a dying animal, before finally passing out.
The crotch of his pants was completely soaked in yellow and red, reeking with the stench of urine and the metallic tang of blood.
Looking down at the man from above, Rai Hikaru's expression remained blank.
After silently calculating the best place for this guy to "die accidentally" in a few days, he turned on his heel and left the storage shed.
…
Rai Hikaru had just stepped out and was about to head back to class when his footsteps suddenly stopped.
Because a figure was standing just off to the side of the storage shed door.
Rai Hikaru frowned slightly as he looked at the beautiful girl leaning against the shed entrance, staring at him in a daze.
"Nanatsuoi Akane?"